Leland Chamber Looks to Refocus On Business, Spin Off New Nonprofit For Community Events

The Leland Chamber of Commerce may revert to a more business-focused organization while a new community nonprofit assumes responsibility for fireworks, beautification projects and more.

That’s the proposal on the table from chamber leadership, which called an all-chamber meeting to suggest the move last week. Chamber members will now vote on the plan.

If approved, the goal is to have a new nonprofit called “Friends of Leland” in place by January, with the Chamber returning to its roots as the Leland Business Association at or around the same time.

Maggie Mielczarek, who co-owns the Harbor House business with her husband, Greg, has been part of the chamber leadership team since last year. She tells The Ticker the move will allow the chamber to truly serve its business membership instead of spending time and money on many other things that have fallen in the organization’s lap over the years as other community groups folded.

“Over time, the chamber just kept assuming these other responsibilities, like the fireworks, like the Christmas lights, like trash removal, all these things that really don't allow the chamber to focus on small business,” Mielczarek says. “Today, much of our budget and time goes toward community beautification and event-related expenses…leaving limited resources to directly support our business community.”

The chamber has heard plenty of feedback to that effect, leading to the proposal for a “clean cut separation to bring the focus back to what is important to us, while not saying goodbye to the community items that are so important.”

Under the proposal, the new Friends of Leland nonprofit would be 100 percent funded by the Leland Wine & Food Festival, which has long been the chamber’s major fundraiser. The business association would be completely funded by $250 in annual dues from each member. The chamber now has about 60 business and nonprofit members from Leland and Lake Leelanau, but has had well over 100 in the past.

“If we can get membership to where it should be, with a minimum of 88 members, then all of our costs get covered for all the things that we need – marketing and social media and all of that,” Mielczarek says. “And then Friends of Leland is responsible for a minimum of $33,000 a year to maintain all those community events.”

Mielczarek believes the split would allow both organizations to deliver much more to businesses and the community at large. She’s particularly excited about delivering more to businesses outside of the summer crush.

“Our energy doesn't need to be about promoting Leland in the summer,” she says. “Our business community needs to work together on the shoulder seasons to make things happen, to keep us revitalized and relevant.”

Mielczarek admits she was a bit nervous about proposing the split, though it was generally well received by those in attendance, she says.

“We even had somebody come forward at the meeting saying they would run Friends of Leland,” she says.

It will take more than one person to run this organization, of course, and anyone else interested in getting involved can email Mielczarek here.

“We really need the summer community to step up and be a part of this,” she says.

Mielczarek clarified that even if the split is approved, all community events will continue as planned this year.